Book Review Wednesday: Books I Didn't Like, Vol 4

 I'm back with another edition of books I didn't like. I don't love sharing negative reviews but I think it's fun and interesting to read the things people haven't been enjoying. This is in no way any shade to the authors or to anyone who did like these books, they just weren't my favorite.

None of this books I hated by any means, I was just expecting a little more from them. The last time I shared a post in this series was in September 2022 which included a few books I didn't finish. This time around, I finished all of the books and I just felt that they were a bit lackluster. 

Let's get into it!

Woman of the Year by Darcey Bell

I loved a Simple Favor so much so I was really excited to dive into Darcey Bell's new novel, Woman of the Year, but this just didn't hit for me. It was written in a way that felt a little complicated to grasp. You were constantly going back and forth between present and past tense and it was hard to follow. The plot of the book had a lot of potential but then it fell kind of flat; I wanted more appropriate anger. I understand why the main character, Holly, was upset at her ex best friend but at the same time, I don't. I don't think it was enough to try to kill her, in a public setting. The ending was strange with a weird twist that I didn't see coming and I just really didn't enjoy this. 

You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa

"You're Invited" was a book I was so excited about, and when it was a Book of the Month choice for me, I was thrilled. I had high hopes, I wanted to love it, but there was just something missing. The book was very long, too long for what the plot actually was, and I started to get bored of all the details included. The book definitely could've been shorter by at least 100 pages. The plot was good, the ending was satisfying, but so much was held close to the chest, I felt like I couldn't get invested in the characters. There was also a lot of cultural references that took me out of the story, though, was very interesting to learn about. I didn't completely dislike this book but I think I was expecting more thriller tropes and something a lot shorter. 

I’m So Effing Tired by Amy Shah, MD

I love a self improvement book and was excited for something to tell me about why I'm exhausted all the time and talk about burnout, but "I'm So Effing Tired" was a bore. It was very science focused, didn't offer any real advice and honestly, I felt a little judged while reading it. It was not a book that made me feel good about myself when I was done and towards the end, I started skimming the pages because I just wanted it to be over. 

All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox

Maggie Knox had my favorite Christmas book of 2021, The Holiday Swap, so I was so excited for her new novel that came out in 2022. "All I Want for Christmas" has a plot that is similar to American Idol because of the singing competition and centers around Sadie and Max who are from opposite ends of the track and are forced to fake date in order to win the competition. The idea sounds cute but I found both characters very irritating and the book moved slightly too fast with no real character development. I wasn't invested in the story, so maybe I was just being a cynical non romantic while reading but The Holiday Swap was so much better!

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The duo of Greer and Sarah is iconic. They are such talented co-writers and always deliver the most absurd, interesting and detailed stories with a twist to end all twists. I had An Anonymous Girl sitting in my Nook library for a while before deciding to read it and I honestly should've left it unread. The plot was a good idea and it was executed nicely, but it just wasn't the book for me. I found myself getting very irritated by Jess, our main character, along with Dr. Shields, our 'villain. I couldn't stand reading about their bad choices and it just made me angry. The moral and ethical dilemma is the entire reason for the book but everything about it rubbed me the wrong way, and I didn't enjoy the ending at all. Hendricks and Pekkanen's other books are much better and didn't irritate me as much. 

What books have you not enjoyed recently?
xoxo
B